This invention relates to pickups for stringed musical instruments, such as guitars, for creating electrical signals subsequently amplified and applied to a speaker or the like to produce an amplified version of the sound produced by the instrument strings, and deals more particularly with such a pickup of the magnetic type wherein the signals are induced in a coil so associated with a permanent magnet that the vibrations of the strings produce changes in the magnetic flux linking the coil.
Magnetic pickups for use with instruments having strings made of steel or other ferro-magnetic material are well known in the art. Such pickups are conventionally located below the strings of the instrument, and because of their thickness some recess or hole usually needs to be made in the top surface of the instrument to accommodate the pickup.
Magnetic pickups are also known which have a plurality of pole pieces, one underlying each string, each of which pole pieces is adjustable toward and away from its string to vary the fundamental strength of the signal induced in the coil by the vibration of the string associated with that pole.
The general object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of magnetic pickup for use with stringed instruments which pickup has a relatively low profile or thickness so that, if desired, it may be mounted on the top surface of an instrument without the need for making holes or recesses in such top surface.
A further object of the invention is to provide a magnetic pickup of the foregoing character wherein the signal induced in the associated coil by the vibration of a string may be varied not only as to strength but also as to phase to allow the production of a range of effects broader than can be obtained with a pickup wherein the signal output is variable as to strength only.
In keeping with the above object, a further more specific object of the invention is to provide a pickup whereby the strength and phase of the output signal produced by the vibration of each string of the instrument with which it is used may be individually adjusted, and a still further specific object is to provide such a pickup wherein the adjustment for each string is readily carried out by hand in a simple manner without the need for special tools.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment.